Pokémon Karaoke and Then Some: The Reboot
by chipotlepeppers
Summary: Jessie, James, and Meowth have been out of Team Rocket for months. After receiving new supplies from Professor Oak, the TRio decided to travel and compete in various competitions until they could figure out a sustainable future. Joining them is a handful of twerps. One night they run into some friendly strangers with an appeal and have a little fun. More explanation in Author Notes
1. Seeking Shelter From a Storm

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Pokémon **

**AN:** This little deviance takes place around chapter 19-20 of Stand by You. Works as a stand-alone too if you wanna try it on.

**Summary**: Jessie, James, and Meowth have been out of Team Rocket for months. After receiving new supplies from Professor Oak, the TRio decided to travel and compete in various competitions to raise money until they could figure out a sustainable future. Joining them is a handful of Ash's former traveling companions. One night they run into some friendly strangers with an appeal and have a little fun. Some RocketShipping, WishfulShipping, and ContestShipping.

**Characters:** Jessie, James, Meowth, Bonnie, Serena, Clemont, Max, Ash, Misty, May, Drew, Cilan, Iris, Dawn, some minor OCs, and their MVPokémon. Everyone is aged up.

**Rating: **T for swearing and the occasional innuendo. It's nothing you people never heard before. No violence or graphic descriptions of unpleasant shit.

* * *

**Pokémon Karaoke, and Then Some**

_**Chapter One**_

It was a pleasant day weather-wise on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Jessie, James, and Meowth rested on the floor of their balloon as they glided towards their next destination. Ten-year-old Bonnie and sixteen-year-old Serena accompanied them. The preteen, her surrogate-sister, and their MVPokémon stood looking over the side of the basket while 11+ of their closest friends legged below them.

"I know we agreed to play nice…" Jessie started, whispering into the ear of her partner. "…but it's wayyyy too cramped in here for my liking."

"I second dat," whispered Meowth.

James looked around. All his Pokémon were in their balls, yet there was hardly enough breathing space for the trio. Jessie was in his lap, and Meowth was squished between her and Wobbuffet. About a foot away, Dedenne sat comfortably on Sylveon's shoulders. Bonnie and Serena seemed to have no problem being jammed together as they enjoyed the view from the balloon.

"Look, we are about to stop anyway," said James, noticing a Pokémon trainer rest stop.

"Hey! We're stopping for a water break!" Iris called to them.

"Clemont and I are going to fix us some lunch!" Cilan added. "There's a kitchenette!"

"Sounds wonderful!" Serena called back. She turned to Bonnie and her Pokémon. "I'm famished."

"Ditto," Bonnie breathed, the Pokémon agreeing with her.

Meowth landed the balloon while Jessie and James disentangled themselves. When they got to the ground, the rest of their group greeted Serena, Bonnie, Sylveon, and Dedenne.

"How was the flight?" Ash inquired.

"Other than weird?" said Dawn.

"I loved it! I want a hot air balloon when I get old!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Why you…you little…bit—" Jessie started, the rage building up inside of her.

James and Meowth quickly covered her mouth before she cursed out the little girl.

"When yer travelin wit dese lugs, yous never ever call dem o-l-d," Meowth explained. "Yous can't even tink it; de'll pick up on dat too. Den Jessie'll get her revenge on yous. It don't matter how cute and innocent yous are."

"Sorry," Bonnie replied.

"We'll try to remember to be more sensitive," Iris sarcastically responded.

There was a loud clap of thunder, and everyone looked to the sky.

"Dark clouds. A storm must be coming, " Ash observed.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu said worriedly.

"Danks for statin de obvious," Meowth replied.

"It's good that we got here when we did," said Clemont. "Let's get inside."

"Over half a dozen smartphones among us and no one bothered to check the weather," Max mumbled. "Pathetic."

Inside the shanty, there were restrooms, a sitting area, and a kitchenette. Jessie lied on the single expansive sofa and slept. James draped their one blanket over her then rested with his back against the couch beside her, his goal to organize the dozens of emails and texts that had amassed on his device.

Dawn and Misty were the first to notice Jessie asleep on the couch.

"Is that normal for her to sleep so much?" Dawn asked.

"I don't remember her being this tired in the past," Misty remarked. "I recall you functioning on very little sleep most of the time."

"Um…uh…maybe all that lost sleep is finally catching up to her," James stumbled.

"If Jessie is sick, we should stop at a clinic. We wouldn't mind—there's one not far from here."

"Jessie doesn't need…what I mean is…we aren't the type to…uh…"

The girls wondered what was wrong with him but James provided no clues.

"You should suggest it to her when she gets up," said Dawn. "You know that if _we _say anything then she will rip our heads off but she has your trust and respect."

"I will…" James mumbled.

The girls returned to the others. Ash, Pikachu, Meowth, Drew, and May played cards at the small table. Iris and Bonnie groomed their Pokémon, Cilan, Serena, and Clemont cooked their next meal, and everyone else sat around, just chilling.

"Ahem!" James coughed, grabbing their attention.

"What's up?" asked Iris.

"Everything alright?" Serena asked.

"Umm…Jessie is trying to sleep so please don't wake her up or she will be cranky later," he announced shyly. "Uh, that's all."

"No problem," Ash whispered, giving him a thumbs-up, which James returned, along with an awkward half-smile.

Max motioned for everyone to huddle around him.

"I checked the weather," he said. "It's going to rain the rest of tonight, clear in the morning, then it will pick up again late tomorrow afternoon. We should stay here for the rest of the night, do some traveling in the morning, then make another stop before the rain starts tomorrow evening."

"Is there a place we can get to by tomorrow night?" Cilan asked.

"There's a village about five miles from here. Not much is there. A few homes, a dentist, dry cleaners, laundromat, pizzeria, police station, and a karaoke bar. On the outskirts, there's a camping ground."

"A karaoke bar..." Dawn hummed. "Interesting."

"Not everyone here is old enough to drink," Iris pointed out.

"Hey, it says that the karaoke bar is specifically for Pokémon trainers," May read. "Ages ten and up."

"I never heard of such a thing!" Cilan gasped daringly. "It sounds interesting."

"I've been to one before," Drew mumbled. "It was a while ago...forget I mentioned it..."

"What's it like?" asked Bonnie. "Was it fun?"

"It was okay. I didn't sing or anything like that…."

"I would love to do that! This storm is the perfect excuse to take a break from training!"

"I'd like to watch," said Ash. "I couldn't sing to save my life, but I bet some of you are really good."

"Let's make it a date," said Serena. "Maybe we can perform as a group, or with our Pokémon."

"I totally wanna do it," Bonnie emphasized.

"Okay. But for now, let's eat," Cilan announced. "Who wants fresh udon?"

**XO**

Two hours after dinner, James gently woke his sleeping partner.

"Hey," he said softly, looking into her blue eyes for the first time in hours.

"How long was I out?" Jessie asked with a yawn.

Her stomach growled. James helped her get off the couch.

"Almost three hours. I have leftovers. I can heat them on the stove if you wish," said James.

"I feel a bit too nauseous to eat," she murmured.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

James told her about the twerps' travel plans and the karaoke bar.

"As if any of those twerpy teens could sing," she remarked. "How lame."

_'You never know,' _James thought as she shuffled to the restroom.

Meowth was already asleep on the sofa. James lied beside him, making sure to leave plenty of room for Jessie in case she returned.

"You three never get off the couch," Dawn said as James closed his eyes. "Give us a turn."

"We were here first," he asserted.

"We did a lot more work than you did," May pointed out.

"There isn't enough room for all of us on the couch anyway," Misty intervened. "Just let them have it. The floor isn't so bad. There are foam sleeping mats in the closet that we can stick under our sleeping bags."

"Zuuuu," her partner chanted, opening the closet door.

"Whatever," Dawn mumbled.

**XO**

Apart from two, the tired trainers fell asleep soon after hitting their make-do beds.

_'You'd think a trainers' stop would have more than four bathrooms and some blankets_,' James thought as he lied awake. _'Maybe I should call Nanny and Pop-pop—they have extra everything...' _

"Pikachu…I'm gonna get you…" Meowth muttered in his sleep, brandishing his claws subconsciously.

James carefully moved him towards their feet. He wrapped himself around Jessie, who shifted slightly, reciprocating his actions. She whispered something, but it was too quiet for him to understand. His smile got even wider and he placed his head next to hers, closing his eyes and savoring the moment. Before he drifted off to sleep, someone poked him. He opened his eyes to see Misty standing over him.

He almost yelled "Eek!" in surprise, but Misty hushed him.

"Just a friendly reminder that we are all still here," she whispered, smirking at his reaction.

"I know…" he said defensively.

"Just don't get too affectionate…It'll gross us out."

"What kind of person do you think I am?"

Misty ignored his question, and flicked him in the middle of the head. "We are friends, dummy. This is just how I am, so get used to it."

**XO**

The next morning everyone got up early and started to travel towards the next small town, where they hoped to relax for a while before moving on.

"Can Piplup and I have a turn in the balloon?" Dawn asked the trio.

"Knock yourself out," Jessie replied groggily.

"Any otha twerps comin?" Meowth asked.

"Ash never got a turn," said Bonnie.

"Uhhh…I'd rather walk…" he replied. "Bonnie, Max, you can take my turn if you want."

"Okay!" the preteens responded in unison as they turned to the balloon.

Jessie scowled as Bonnie and Max clumsily climbed into the gandola, once again invading her personal space.

"At least it's not as crowded as it was last time," said James.

"Humph," Jessie sighed, crossing her arms and turning away.

They arrived in a small neighborhood a few hours later.

"According to the Poke-nav, this is the village I mentioned earlier," Max announced.

"Splendid," Jessie said sarcastically.

"I want pizza!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"De ne ne!" cheered Dedenne.

"Mmmm," said Meowth and James, drooling a little.

"Twerps, we're comin down!" Meowth called. "Make room fer de balloon!"

The rest of the group cleared a spot so that the balloon could land in front of them. Bonnie and Max joined their siblings and Pokémon.

"First stop, the pizzeria!" Ash announced.

"Piiii Ka!" cheered Pikachu.

"Why does he get ta call de shots?" Meowth complained.

"Well, where do you want to go?" Cilan asked.

"De pizzeria…"

"After that, let's go to that trainer karaoke bar. I'd love to check it out."

"What else we can do around here?" Ash inquired.

"There will be arcade games there too," Dawn replied. "And it will be fun to watch everyone mess up their karaoke songs."

Clemont, Ash, and Max sweatdropped, wondering if they would be expected to perform, making the girls giggle.

"Let's eat first and worry about that later," Misty said as they entered the restaurant.

"Are you Pokémon trainers?" the host asked.

"Yes," Cilan replied.

"Perfecto!"

The host was a short, loud, man with a long mustache and strong Italian accent. He had dark hair and dark, wrinkled skin. He shook each of their hands heartily and bellowed a gregarious 'welcome'.

"Will your Pokémon be joining you?" he asked.

"Can they?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu.

"Of course!" the man exclaimed.

"Oh, um, well, my brother and I can't afford to buy food for our Pokémon too…" May mumbled.

"That would be true for most of us," said Clemont.

"We can't even afford to buy food for ourselves," James remarked.

"No worries! All Pokémon get one meal free as long as their trainer buys something!" the man gushed.

"Wow!" said Ash. "Really?"

"You sure you can do that?" Cilan inquired.

"Absolutely!" he continued. "I love Pokémon and Pokémon trainers!"

"This is fantastic!" Misty said as she let her team out of their Pokéballs.

"Awesome," and "Sweet," said Bonnie and Max as they released theirs.

"There's just…one condition," said the host, his voice almost a whisper.

"What's that?" Clemont asked nervously.

Seeing his expression made the man feel guilty.

"Never mind," he told everyone. "Take a seat and I'll send a waiter your way."

**XO**

Before they sat down, Jessie, James, and Meowth gathered into a huddle.

"Here's the plan," Jessie began. "We stick to the free bread they give us on the table and no one complains about it."

"But I want pizza," Meowth whined.

"We can't afford pizza, numskull."

"But Pokémon eat free," James whispered.

"If we buy something. What the hell can we buy? The cheapest thing we can buy is a glass of soda water, and that's three bucks!"

"Weeze can get a keychain," Meowth said, pointing to a machine in the corner.

They quickly ran over to it.

"Insert a quarter and spin to win a keychain," Jessie read. "Perfect."

"But then only the monz get food," James pointed out.

"We will make them order the biggest meals here. Then we will spit it three ways, hog all the free table-bread, and wrap up the leftovers."

"Right," James and Meowth said together.

"Wobba," Wobbuffet added. "Wo, wob Wobbbba!"

"He's sayin he wants de mozzarella sticks," Meowth translated. "And look, it's a Meowth keychain. "Purrfect!"

"We'll get you mozzarella sticks," Jessie told Wobbuffet. "An extra big order for sharing purposes."

"Buffffffet!" he cheered.

"Let's show dat host lug de keychain and orda our food," said Meowth. "It's a pathetic plan, but it'll work."

"My thoughts exactly," James replied.

"We've done much, much, more pathetic things in the past," Jessie pointed out. "Our only other options are to A: go hungry, B: excuse ourselves and go eat out of the dumpster, C: come back later when it is storming out, steal food and somehow managed to hide it from the twerps, or D: beg the twerps to buy us food."

"I say we save de beggin fer when weeze don't gotta plan," Meowth responded.

"Ditto," said James.

"Wobbuffettttt," Wobbuffet agreed.

"Hey, we're going to order!" Ash called to them.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu added, holding up a menu.

"K, weeze got de keychain," Meowth murmured. "Now let's look ta see what de biggest meals on de menu are…"

**XO**

After their meal, the host swung by to check-in.

"The food was awesome," said Ash. "I haven't eaten that much pizza in a while."

"Me neither," said May, stifling a burp.

Bonnie rubbed her stomach. "I love Italian food."

"Thank you!" everyone but Jessie, James, and Meowth added.

"Good, good," the host replied. "Now, about that condition that I mentioned…everyone who indulged in that free meal for their Pokémon must participate in the karaoke contest at the Jigglypuff-Igglybuff Bar around the corner."

"What?!" Clemont, Ash, and Max exclaimed.

"Sir, you didn't mention that before," said Cilan.

The host scratched his neck and coughed an awkward laugh.

"I didn't want to drive you away…" he mumbled.

Half the table groaned, but not Misty.

"We accept this," she responded. "Seems we have no choice, right?"

"Right," the host responded.

"But it was rude of you to not say anything ahead of time."

"It's in the fine print."

"What fine print?" Dawn asked.

Their host pointed to the very bottom of the menu. It stated the condition and the consequence: a visit from Officer Jenny.

"This is like a bad dream," Max said as they paid the bill.

Bonnie poked his side. "I think it will be fun. Can you sing?"

"No."

"Have you ever tried?"

"It's definitely not my thing."

They begrudgingly said their goodbyes then headed outside.

"This rain is awful," Dawn moaned after opening the restaurant's main door.

Everyone returned their Pokémon. Meowth clung to James.

"Please tell me dat one of yous remembered de umbrella," said Meowth.

"Sorry, Bud, I forgot," said James, shrugging his shoulders.

"But yous know I hate wata! How could yous forget?!"

"You never reminded us," said Jessie.

"Here, go under my jacket," James suggested as he pulled a raincoat out of his bag.

The fifteen or so odd members of their groups scrambled under four umbrellas and ran as fast as they could, with Max leading the way to the karaoke bar. Once inside, they were greeted by a handful of trainers, all teenagers.

"Hey, you dudes here for the contest?" a dumb-looking kid replied. He looked to be about 16 years old. He had blond hair, freckles, and wore a Hawaiian shirt.

_"_Contest?" said Dawn. "We were just going to hang out…the host of the Da Vinci Pizzeria said there was an event we needed to join…"

"We didn't know that it was a_ contest_," Iris added.

"Or that he was being serious," said Drew.

"Or that my 'friends' were actually going to guilt me into this," said Max.

"Lucky for you all, tonight is our Riveting Rivals Contest!" said the young representative.

The wet and confused trainers stared at him blankly. Jessie ignored them, opting to comb out her long hair before it dried in some abhorrent fashion.

"'Riveting Rivals'?" Serena inquired.

"Gather 'round," said the worker. "I'm Baku, the Bāwākā of this gilt-edged establishment."

Everyone clustered around Baku, even James and Meowth, while Jessie scoffed and headed to the restroom.

"So, this contest is like, a Pokémon performance sorta, but with singing," Baku explained. "People like, go up in pairs, and sing a song and sometimes dance with their Pokémon. Then the judges, like they like judge. And the audience gets tokens, which they use to vote for which pair they like the best."

"Ohhhh," said May, conveying her interest.

"Why is it called 'Riveting Rivals'?" asked Dawn.

"Because traditionally people like, go up against their rivals, and it's like, riveting," Baku replied.

"I see," Iris grumbled, annoyed by his manner of speaking.

"Thanks," Misty half-heartedly sighed.

"See ya soon," Baku said before walking away. "Alola for now."

"That guy must think he is in Alola or something," Max remarked.

"How annoying," said Drew.

"Yeah he sure is something," said Ash.

"Piiii," Pikachu sighed, looking nervously to the stage.

"This singing situation is suspicious," Drew commented.

"Suspicious, but astute," said Cilan.

"If you say so," said Iris.

"Why the long faces?" said Misty. "This could be fun—imagine _Ash _up there: prime entertainment."

"Uhhhh…ummm…yeah, it's uhhh, I can try," Ash stumbled. "If everyone else goes up."

"Pi," Pikachu asserted, supporting Ash as usual.

"It's that or Officer Jenny. You're a nominated Frontier Brain; do you wanna ruin your rep now?" said Iris, sarcastic, though Ash assumed she was serious.

"No…uhh…let's take this one step at a time…' he stumbled.

May and Drew convened privately. When they were done with their chat, they returned to the others, who were still trying to figure out their next move.

"The truth is…" May started. "When Drew and I were traveling alone, we went to these all the time. They're everywhere in Johto."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Cilan asked.

"It was a secret we wanted to keep."

"You should brag about that instead," Bonnie replied. "Cuz that's awessssome!"

"Yeah, totally," said Ash. "I had no idea you could do that."

Drew shrugged. "We're amazing, not much more to say about it."

"I _need _to try it," Bonnie asserted. "Who wants to pair up with me? It'll be fun, even if we don't win. Will you do it, Max?"

"No way," he replied.

"Pleeeeease?"

"Bonnie, please don't be rude," said Clemont. "I know how you feel, Max. It isn't my thing either."

"Or mine," said Ash.

"But this our thing," James whispered to Meowth.

"Define 'our'," Meowth requested.

"Mine and Jessie's."

"Wobbba!" said Wobbuffet.

"And Wobbuffet's. Especially Jessie's; this is a chance for her to show off her singing skills in front of an audience."

"I suppose yous gonna pair up wit her," Meowth guessed.

"Duh."

"I'll admit dat yous two are probably gonna put on an interestin show, but what about de fact dat dis contest is fer twerps?"

"There are people are age here."

James looked around until he spotted a group of about ten people who looked to be in their mid to late twenties. Most of them had drinks in their hands and one woman was holding an infant.

"See," James told Meowth as he pointed to them.

Meowth snorted. "For all weeze know dey could be twerps' parents."

"Shove it."

"Meowth, what are you doing to him?" Jessie asked as she emerged from behind them.

"What took yous so long?" Meowth countered.

"None of your business."

James explained the contest and pointed out the group of twenty-somethings near the bar.

"I like the way you think," she said.

Jessie headed towards the bar, dragging James behind her. Meowth and Wobbuffet followed along. She approached the person running the contest and flirted with him until he gave her free entries.

"Easy as pie," Jessie bragged, waving the tickets so that Serena, Bonnie, and May could see them from across the room.

"Jessie, is that you?" a stranger inquired.

"Tiffany Mirai? " Jessie asked, staring at the woman.

"It is you!"

The brunette embraced Jessie, who laughed and hugged her back.

"Whaaat?" James and Meowth gaped together.

"Jessie and I used to be coworkers, and then some," Tiffany explained.

"Oh, and when was this?" James queried, stepping between them.

"Tiffany was a Pokémon Ranger and I was her humble assistant," Jessie replied, raising her eyebrows at James.

"You worked for a Pokémon Ranger?"

"Yous were humble?" said Meowth.

Jessie quickly stomped on his toes without Tiffany noticing, although she did look surprised when Meowth suddenly screamed and grabbed his foot.

"You all right?" Tiffany asked the Pokémon.

"Yeah," he sighed pathetically.

"Where did you catch a talking Pokémon? Or did you teach it to talk yourself?"

"Why…yous…so rude!"

"Buffet Wobba!" Wobbuffet complained, backing up Meowth.

"How about we take a seat so that we can all catch up," James suggested.

"Good idea," said Tiffany brightly.

James led them to a table.

"What's up with James?" Jessie whispered, mostly to herself.

Only Meowth heard her. "Whatcha mean?" he asked.

"He seems all hot and bothered."

"A bet it's nuthin."

"I didn't even ask you what your name was," said Tiffany, looking to James.

"Me?" James asked.

"Yes, you!"

"I'm James."

"Sooo nice to meet you."

"Oh, ditto!"

Several of the twerps watched them.

"Looks like Jessie and James found an old friend," May observed.

"It's weird to think that they have friends," said Dawn. "I mean, they spend like all of their time following us. And when they are free, they are usually hanging out wherever we are, and we travel all over the place."

"Everyone in Team Rocket seems to hate them too," said Serena. "Domino, Cassidy, Blitch, Matori, Wendy, their boss…"

"They did grow up and work all throughout Kanto," said Misty.

"Even annoying and conceited people have friends," said May.

"May, don't be so hard on yourself," Drew teased.

"I was talking about…never mind. Eat your damned pizza."

**XO**

**Continued in Chapter Two! Thanx for reading and please review!**


	2. In Their Black and White

_**Chapter Two**_

Back at the table with Tiffany…

"You two sure have a lot in common," James mumbled after the girls shared their third story, none of which made sense to the other members of their party.

"Of course," said Tiffany. "We dated for almost a year."

"A year?!"

"Yeah, so what?" Jessie replied, glaring at James.

"That's a long time and you never told me."

"Awe, don't be jealous," Tiffany said in baby-tone. "It's better to be someone's last than their first."

"First what? Last what?"

The girls just laughed. James sighed and looked to Meowth, who simply shrugged and continued to sip his drink.

"Forget I brought that up," said Tiffany. "We broke up on good terms…it's almost like we can get back together…pick up where we left of…you can stay at my place…"

James was entirely unaware the Tiffany was only saying this to taunt him; it was obvious that James feared losing even a smidgen of his best friend's attention.

"Yous okay?" Meowth asked as he noticed James go pale.

"F-fine," James stumbled, gulping the last of his water.

"James, I'm not going to run away with her, so chill out," said Jessie. "And that's a wedding ring if I've ever seen one; she's married."

"Four years next spring," Tiffany said proudly, brandishing the ring.

"Great!" James breathed. "I mean, good for you."

"Let's change de subject," said Meowth. "I'm bored and Jimmy's lookin sick from it."

"Okay, so about that contest…" Tiffany started. "Have you ever performed?"

"As a matter of fact, James and I are excellent performers and we are going to win this competition," Jessie said confidently.

"I look forward to it." Tiffany looked behind her, then back to the trio. "I should get back to my family and friends. Are you sure you don't want to meet them?"

"We're sure," Jessie and James said together.

"I can't believe Tiffany is married already," Jessie said dismally after her friend had walked away. "There were ten of us…I'm the only one who's never gotten married."

"You want to field this one for me?" James asked Meowth.

"I told yous two a while ago dat I am not yer relationship counselor," he replied. "Dat was in our contract. I'm gonna see if dey have any free nuts otha den yous two at de bar."

Meowth was quickly gone and replaced with Serena and Bonnie.

"So, you're going through with it," Serena commented. "The contest."

"We like the prize. What's it to you?" said Jessie.

"Serena and I are going to sing," said Bonnie.

"How cute. What are you going to do, Frozen? High School Musical? Hannah Montana?"

"Actually, the way this works is that we don't get to pick," Serena replied.

"Huh?" Jessie and James said, suddenly much more anxious.

"Each pair picks their songs randomly. Afterwards, the teams get a half hour to put together a routine with their partners and Pokémon. We are stuck with whatever song we end up picking."

"Oh."

"That doesn't sound fun at all," James pouted.

"It will be hilarious! What, you scared?" Serena teased.

"No!" Jessie and James exclaimed.

"Then see you later."

"Bye-bye," said Bonnie.

"De ne ne ne!" Dedenne chanted as he, Bonnie, and Serena waved goodbye.

"Well, if we get a free vacation as a prize…" Jessie started.

"…it'll be worth it," James finished.

"Time for us to pick our songs," Cilan told Jessie and James.

"You're competing too?" James asked incredulously.

"We figured it was worth a shot given that colossal prize and the fact that not doing it would get in in trouble with the cops."

"Hmpf."

The four of them walked over to the side of a stage that was set up at the bar. Serena and Bonnie, May and Drew, Tiffany and her wife, and two more unfamiliar pairs of teenagers were waiting for them, along with Baku and one twerpette that looked familiar but Jessie and James couldn't place.

"Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Dawn?!" Zoey replied.

The girls ran into each other's arms.

"How are you? What are you doing here?" Dawn asked.

"My grandma lives in this village," Zoey replied. "I'm assuming you just came for a pit stop, right?"

"Yeah, I'm still traveling with them."

The twerps took time to catch up with Zoey. During this time, Dawn realized she was partner-less.

"Zoey…are you by any chance interested in being my partner for the Riveting Rivals Contest?" Dawn meekly inquired. "I know it's last-minute..."

"I'd love to be your partner," Zoey responded. "I came with the intention to watch but performing is kinda my thing, remember?"

"I could never forget. Thank you sooo, sooo much. You just saved my ass. I bet you're an amazing singer."

"I'm not bad."

"I think we're getting our songs now. Right now."

"KK."

"Nice to see you again, dudes," Baku said, handing them each a necklace with their name on it. "Welcome, Zoey. Ready to rock?"

"I suppose you're about to find out," she replied.

Baku handed Jessie and James their lanyards first.

"You two are going to sing?" May asked, struggling to stifle a giggle.

"I'd wipe away that smirk if I were you," Jessie replied.

"Ooh, I'm so scared."

"Can it."

"It's all just a friendly competition," Baku reminded everyone. "BRB."

Baku left briefly then returned with a five-gallon jar of ping-pong balls. He asked one member of each team to pick a ball out of the jar. Printed on each one was the name of the song they had to do. May hesitated and then reached into the jar and pulled out a ball.

"We have 'Starships' by Nicki Minaj," she told her partner. "We have to do that one."

"Not bad at all," Drew coughed.

Cilan chose next.

"It's 'Stuck to You' by Nikka Costa. I never even heard that song before," said Cilan.

"I know it," Iris replied. "I think you'll like it."

"Xew Xew!" Axew exclaimed, nodding his head eagerly.

"Serena, you can pick," Bonnie offered.

"Here is goes…" she murmured as she reached into the jar.

"What do we have?"

"We have 'That Don't Impress Me Much' by Shania Twain. Darn, just how lame can it get?"

"Quite lame, apparently," Ash mumbled.

"Dee nay," Dedenne grudgingly sighed.

"Cheer up, this is supposed to be fun, remember?" said Bonnie.

"Right," Serena responded, forcing a smile. "Plus, we could have gotten something much worse."

James clumsily reached into the jar and pulled out a little white ball.

"What's our song?" Jessie asked anxiously as he squinted at the ping-pong ball.

"'Dreams', by Fleetwood Mac," he answered.

"Good; we can _definitely_ do _that _song."

"You think?"

"Trust me."

"Here I go," Dawn said as she plunged her hand into the jar. "Z, we got: Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monáe! Yessss!"

The girls laughed and high-fived. The others grew nervous—with barely any prep, these girls were ready to go.

Misty gently pushed Ash.

"Okay, Mr. Ketchum, your turn to pick a song," she said. "Don't forget to cross your fingers and hold your breath."

"Uhhh…sure…" Ash replied.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he selected his destiny. Misty promptly took the ball from him and silently read the print to herself.

"What's it say?" Ash inquired, peeking one eye out before the other.

"It's…probably the best song we could have possibly gotten," she said with a wide grin, perplexing nearly everyone around her.

"So, dudes, these are like, the Round 1 songs," Baku announced. "In Round 2, we're gonna, like, narrow it down to like, four. The winners will be decided like after the first round. There will be a vote, and the judges will, like, act as tiebreakers. Do you dudes have any questions?"

"So, we might go twice?" May asked.

"Yup."

"Excellent."

**XO**

After talking to Baku, the pairs, along with their Pokémon, were ushered into classroom-like spaces behind the bar. There they put their routines together without the other contestants seeing them.

May and Drew were the first ones up.

"Okay, Beautifly, Roserade, and Delcatty, ready to perform?" May asked.

"Beauttttifffllllyy!"

"Rosa!"

"Dellllla!"

"They seem ready to me," said Drew. "Are you?"

"You bet," May responded.

Baku announced their names. Drew and May clasped hands as they entered the stage. All the twerps and their Pokémon, plus Meowth, were seated in the front row. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet sat behind Meowth.

"Go, May!" Ash cheered, as enthusiastic as ever.

"Yeah, Sis!" Max shouted.

"You can do it!" Dawn, Zoey, and Serena applauded together.

Delcatty used Misty Terrain with a Terrain Extender to set the aesthetic. A stereo to the left provided the beat.

May sung first:

_'Let's go to the beach, each  
Let's go get away  
They say, what they gonna say?  
Have a drink, clink, and grab some sunlight  
Fun girls like me are hard to come by.'_

Then Drew came in to sing the next part:

'_The Patronne, yeah let's go get it on  
The zone, yes I'm in the zone  
Is it two, three? Leave a good tip  
Imma blow off my money and don't give two shits.'_

Then they started to sing together:

_'I'm on the floor, floor, I love to dance  
So give me more, more, 'til I can't stand  
Get on the floor, floor  
Like it's your last chance  
If you want more, more  
Then here I am!'_

"Shit, they're alive," Jessie muttered.

"Hm?" said James. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing."

"J-e-a-l-o-u-s," Meowth snickered.

"Shove it up your ass."

_'Can't stop 'cause we're so high!  
Let's do this one more time!'_

May sang the last chorus herself as their Pokémon used Dazzling Gleam and Sweet Scent to mesmerize and entice the audience.

"Awe, they did the clean version, how wholesome," Jessie mocked.

"What did you expect?" James replied.

Jessie laughed childishly. Bemused as he was, James indulged and laughed too.

Next up was Bonnie and Serena, who did an awesome job considering they had one of the lamest karaoke songs imaginable. When they were done, two unfamiliar pairs of teenagers whose names Jessie and James didn't bother to remember went up. After them was Tiffany and her partner.

"Damn, she's even better than I remembered," Jessie sighed as Tiffany finished up her performance.

"You've listened to her before?" James inquired, his voice whispery and anxious.

"Mmmhmm."

"Did you sing together?"

"What's it to you?"

"I'm your best friend…and then some."

"And…?"

"I just…thought we knew everything about each other."

"I'm sure there's plenty you hide or have hidden from me."

James couldn't think of anything he's hidden before—minus the gargantuan reality of his biological family's wealth paired with the traumatic childhood.

_'But she knows all about that now,'_ he thought. _'And it's not the same.'_

Jessie's heart was also envious. Though she acted cheery and pleased to reunite with an old, nearly-forgotten flame, it bothered her that Tiffany was a real adult and all she had was a goofy best friend, some Pokémon, and a group of early-twenty to preteen acquaintances with whom to share her life. And some professors. And the Chief Twerp's mother. Not even her old boss she suspected to be her uncle liked her, so it seemed. She nearly cried.

_'Jessie's moved by this song,' _James thought, observing her somewhat-sudden change in expression. _'For such a strong human, she can sure have a mushy center—same ol' Jess.' _

Jessie would never admit to this, but she wanted a cheesy romantic moment on stage too. But with James…with twerps present…with something important on the way…now…with _James_. He, the only one who followed her through hell—other than Meowth and sorta Wobbuffet—but that last part is disregarded.

"Next up we have, like, all the way from Unova, Cilan Gaulle and Iris Negai!" Baku announced.

"You ready?" Cilan asked his partner.

"Totally," she responded.

_'We have no choice but to go,'_ she added in her add.

"Sure?" Cilan asked.

"You're the one shaking," Iris remarked, putting a warm hand on his unsteady shoulder.

"I never sang in front of an audience…"

"I know; you told me twenty times. You have nothing to worry about. Your voice is incredible and besides, half the contestants already messed up, and Ash still didn't go and no one can possibly be more awkward then Ash on stage at a singing competition. The only way he can win is if Misty puts duct tape on his mouth and does the whole routine herself."

"Cilan and Iris, c'mon out if you're ready!" Baku said over the microphone.

"Axeeeew," Axew said as he gave each of them a hug.

Pansage followed his lead. The Pokémon strutted through the curtain. The crowd applauded even before the humans appeared.

"This'll be awesome," Ash whispered to Misty. "Iris and Cilan used to sing all the time when we were traveling, like in the shower or hot springs."

"In the shower together?" Misty giggled.

"Uhhhh…"

"JK, Ash, you were kids then."

"Ha, yeah…"

Axew shot sparks of gold and red into the air and Pansage transformed the floor using his Grassy Terrain move. Iris began the song in her now-mature, sultry, and unhesitating tone:

_'If you a star, I be your milky way  
If you a bar, I drink up every day  
If you the town, I be the talk  
If you the talk, I be the walk_

_If you wanna dig, I be your gold, babe  
If you wanna live, I be your old age  
You be the time, I be the clock  
You be the tick, I be the tock_.'

Cilan picked up the next part:

_'If you wanna race, I run like crazy  
If you wanna ride, I drive ya daily  
If you a beach, I be the sand  
You wanna give, I be your hand_.'

They both did the chorus and final verses together:

_'You got me stuck to you  
You got me stuck to you  
you got me stuck, stuck to you_

_If you a case, I be a jury  
If you a sin, I be your mercy  
If you a beat, I be the moves  
If you a tree, baby, I be the roots  
If you made for walkin', I be your boots_

_If you a bride, I be your wedding  
If you a soul, I be your Otis Redding  
If you a verse, I be your song  
If you a king, I be your Kong_

_Clap hands, C'mon  
Clap hands, C'mon_

_We're headed for a breakdown  
I'm a fool, I'm a clown  
But you stuck me so good  
That's right, I been shot down  
Clap hands, c'mon  
Clap hands, C'mon  
You got me stuck to you, stuck to you.'_

Iris' Emolga, Axew, and Cilan's Pansage helped with the performance, finishing off with a bright display of fire, electricity and swirling leaves.

_'I did not see that coming,'_ Jessie and James thought.

"They were actually good," said James.

"They were not terrible," Jessie admitted. "We're still better than that by far."

All the twerps—and Wobbuffet—gave the pair a standing ovation. Iris and Cilan bowed and blew kisses. Jessie crossed her arms and scowled.

"Jim and Jess, yous betta get up dere before yous lose yer turn," Meowth said as he snapped his fingers in front of their faces.

"Right!" the duo exclaimed before running backstage.

"Our next performance for this round is Jessica Tonaka and James Morgan performing 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac!" Baku shouted over the roaring audience.

"Pikachuuuu?" Pikachu asked Ash.

"I'm curious to see how this will go too," Ash replied.

_'Maybe they will be good,'_ Misty thought. _'So much has changed since the old days…' _

A warm orange glow and blue neon rays were the only sources on a nearly pitch-black stage. They dazzled like stars and cast the shadows of six living figures, a bass, and a guitar.

Jessie opened the song.

_'Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom  
Who am I to keep you down?  
It's only right that you should play the way you feel it  
But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness_

_Like a heartbeat drives you mad_

_In the stillness of remembering what you had_

_And what you lost, _

_and what you had,_

_ and what you lost…."_

Then James joined her and it was revealed that he was the one seated, strumming Meowth's guitar, while Wobbuffet and Mimikyu handled the bass and Inkay and Gourgiest crafted their enchanting light show.

_'Thunder only happens when it's raining  
Players only love you when they're playing  
They say women they will come and they will go  
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know, you'll know.'_

James sang the next verse by himself.

_"Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions  
I keep my visions to myself. _

_It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams and,  
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?  
Dreams of loneliness,  
Like a heartbeat, drives you mad_

James and Jessie finished the song together.

_'In the stillness of remembering, what you had,  
And what you lost and what you had and what you lost Thunder only happens when it's raining  
Players only love you when they're playing  
Women, they will come and they will go  
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know_

_you'll know….'_

When the song was finished, the lights coming from their Pokémon dimmed until the stage was immersed in darkness. The crowd burst into applause.

"Wow," Iris said to Cilan. "I mean: shit."

"I didn't see that coming," he replied.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Serena.

"When they _try_, they're good," May commented.

"Maybe one day they'll be performers instead of nomads," Cilan mused.

"Yous two were awesome!" said Meowth exclaimed the moment Jessie, James, and their Pokémon returned to their previous seats.

"You did a totally awesome job up there," said Ash. "You shoulda become performers instead of criminals."

"Pi," Pikachu affirmed.

"No comment," Jessie and James responded.

Another team went, then it was time for Zoey and Dawn to take the stage.

The modish music played over a closed curtain. When the shroud was lifted, Zoey, Dawn, Piplup, Delcatty, and Mismagius were dramatically poised, all with small microphones attacked via earpieces.

Zoey broke her pose and launched the pomp, strutting with confidence and flair:

_'I can't believe all of the things they say about me_

_Walk in the room they throwing shade left to right_

Then Dawn appealed:

_They be like, "Ooh, she serving face"_

_And I just tell 'em cut me up and get down!'_

_They call us dirty 'cuz we break all your rules down_

They sang together, occasionally breaking to give the other a short solo:

_And we just came to act a fool, is that all right?_

_(Girl, that's alright)_

_They be like, "Ooh, let them eat cake."_

_But we eat wings and throw them bones on the ground!_

_Am I a freak for dancing around?_

_Am I a freak for getting down?_

_I'm coming up, don't cut me down_

_Yeah, I wanna be, wanna be_

_Queen!'_

Dawn:

_'Is it peculiar that she twerks in the mirror?_

_And am I weird to dance alone late at night?_

_And is it true we're all insane?_

_And I just tell 'em, "No we ain't" and get down_

_I heard this life is just a play with no rehearsal_

_I wonder will this be my final act tonight_

_And tell me what's the price of fame?_

Zoey:

_'Am I a sinner with my skirt on the ground?_

_Am I a freak for dancing around?_

_Am I a freak for getting down?_

_I'm coming up, don't cut me down_

_Yeah, I wanna be_

_Queen.'_

_Hey, brother, can you save my soul from the devil?_

_Say is it weird to like the way she wears her tights?_

_And is it rude to wear my shades?_

_Am I a freak because I love watching Mary?'_

Dawn:

_'…Maybe..._

_'Hey, sister, am I good enough for your heaven?_

_Say will your God accept me in my black and white?_

_Will he approve the way I'm made?_

_Or should I reprogram the programming and get down?_

_Am I a freak for dancing around?_

_Am I a freak for getting down?_

_I'm coming up, don't cut me down_

_Yeah, I wanna be_

_Queen!'_

Together:

_'Even if it makes others uncomfortable_

_I wanna love who I am_

_Even if it makes others uncomfortable_

_I will love who I am_

_Dance 'til the break of dawn_

_Don't mean a thing_

_I can't take it no more_

_Baby, we in tuxedo groove_

_Z and D_

_Crazy in the black and white_

_We got the drums so tight._

_Baby, here comes the freedom song_

_Too strong we're moving on_

_Hey, D, there's melody_

_Show you another way_

_This joints for fight unknown_

_Come home and sing your song_

_But you gotta testify_

_Because the booty don't lie_

_No, no, the booty don't lie_

_Yeah, let's flip it!'_

Dawn:

_'I don't think they understand what I'm trying to say_

_I asked a question like this_

_"Are we a lost generation of our people?"_

_Add us to equations but they'll never make us equal._

_She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel._

_So why ain't the stealing of my rights made illegal?_

_They keep us underground working hard for the greedy,_

_But when it's time pay, they turn around and call us needy.'_

Zoey:

_'My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti_

_Gimme back my pyramid, I'm trying to free Kansas City._

_Mixing masterminds like your name Bernie Grundman._

_Well, I'm gonna keep leading like a young Harriet Tubman.'_

Together:

_'You can take my wings but I'm still gonna fly_

_And even when you edit me the booty don't lie_

_Yeah, keep singing and Imma keep writing songs_

_I'm tired of Marvin asking me, "What's Going On?_

_March to the streets 'cuz I'm willing and I'm able_

_Categorize me, I defy every label!_

_And while you're selling dope, we're gonna keep selling hope_

_We rising up now, you gotta deal you gotta cope_

_Will you be electric sheep?_

_Electric ladies, will you sleep?_

_Or will you PREACH?!'_

Their performance ended with a Hyper Voice bang and a flowery Blizzard with the girls and Pokémon electrically posed. They didn't break their final posture until the crowd erupted into accolades.

"I can't believe how good they were!" May gasped as she and her friends clapped alongside the others. "They were better than us!"

"They sang, rapped, and that coordination was amazing," said Cilan. "It seemed so well-rehearsed."

"You and I were good but not _that_ good," said Iris. "Dang."

"Whoa! Ha-ha! Yeah!" Ash cheered. "Amazing!"

"Slow down Ash, those are our riveting rivals," Misty giggled.

"I love my rivals!"

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu agreed, waving to his Pokémon pals.

The second-to-last pair went up, then it was time for what most of the group was looking forward to most: Ash and Misty.

**XO**

**Continued in Chapter Three. Thanks for reading and please review:) **


	3. The Conclusion

**_Chapter Three_**

"I have no idea if Misty can sing but I know for sure Ash can't," said May. "He's tone-deaf, like Max."

"Hey—well, okay," said Max.

"How'd you get out of this?" Iris asked.

"The same way Clemont did: we did a little hacking while you all were getting drinks at the bar. Our names are out of the system and now no one has proof that we were here."

"But you didn't do the same for Ash, even though he was nervous too," Dawn noted.

"Well…Ash had already disappeared somewhere with Misty…he didn't respond to my text and I didn't want to look for him in case they were…not in a position to be found…so to speak…"

"Misty said it was a good song for them to do," Zoey reminded them. "I wonder…"

"Give a roaring reception to amateurs Misty Waterflower and Ash Ketchum!" Baku shouted to the crowd. "Performing…they want it to be a surprise!"

"That's weird," said Serena.

"They're weird," Bonnie pointed out.

"Go, Ash!" May shouted. "Go, Misty!"

"You can do it!" Clemont called.

"Don't choke," said Jessie, smirking.

Everyone but the haters continued to cheer while Ash and Misty calmed their nerves behind the stage's veil.

"I might forget the lines, though…" Ash murmured after Misty gave him a round of reassurance.

"You just have to 'respond' to my cues," Misty replied. She pecked his cheek. "C'mon, Pokémon Master, show them what else you can do."

"I can always count on you."

"I know."

"K, kids, whenever you're ready!" Baku hollered.

With the duo was Pikachu and Azumarill. Azumarill used Mist and Pikachu used Thunder to capture the attention of their audience. Then Pikachu slid a CD into the stereo and a tune familiar to most started.

"No way!" Cilan laughed, recognizing the song within seconds.

"What?" Iris whispered.

"Just listen."

Ash started:

_'See I really couldn't sing_

_I could never really sing_

_What I couldn't do was—_

_Misty:_

_'—Sing!'_

_I have trouble with a—'_

Misty:_ '—note.'_

Ash: _'It goes all around my—_

Misty_ '—throat'_

Ash:_ 'It's a terrifying—'_

Misty:_ '—thing!'_

Ash:_ See, I really couldn't hear_

_which note was lower or was—' _

Misty: _'—higher!' _

Ash:_ Which is why I'd disappear if someone said "Let's start a—' _

Misty:_ '—choir!"' _

Ash:_ 'Hey, when I begin to—' _

Misty:_ '—squeak!_

Ash:_ 'It's a cross between a..._

Misty:_ '—shriek!_

Ash:_ '—and a quiver or a—' _

Misty:_ '—moan.'_

Ash:_ It's a little like a—' _

Misty: _'—croak.'_

Ash:_ 'Or the record player—' _

Misty: _'—broke.'_

Ash:_ '—When it doesn't have its—' _

Misty:_ '—tone!'_

Ash:_ '—I know you're thinking "what a crazy—' _

Misty:_ 'ding-a-ling"!' _

Ash:_ 'But I really couldn't—'_

Misty:_ '—sing!'_

Ash:_ 'I could never really—' _

Misty:_ '—sing!'_

Ash: _What I couldn't do was..._

Misty:_ '—sing! After me: 'Three blind mice!' _

Ash, horrendously off-tone: _'Three blind mice!'_

Misty:_ 'It isn't intentional...he's doing his best…try this: jingle bells, jingle bells!'_

Ash, even more off-key:_ 'Jingle bells, jingle bells!' Geeze, it really blows my mind.' _

Misty:_ 'He gets depressed.' _

Ash:_ 'But what I lack in pitch, I sure make up in—' _

Misty: _'—power!' _

Ash:_ 'And all my friends say I am perfect for the—" _

The audience_: '—shower!' _

Ash:_ Still, I'm terrific at a—'_

Misty:_ '—dance?' _

_Ash: 'Guys are comin' in their—' _

_Misty" '—pants?'_

Ash: _'I'm a birdie on the—' _

Misty:_ '—wing!'_

Ash: _'But when I begin to—' _

Misty:_ '—chirp._

Ash: _'They say "who's the little—' _

Misty:_'—twerp_

Ash:_ '—going 'pong' instead of—' _

Misty: _'—ping?"'_

Ash:_ 'And when Christmas comes and all my friends go—' _

Audience: _'—caroling!'_

Ash:_ 'It is so dishearten—' _

Misty: _'—ning!'_

Ash:_ 'It is so disquiet—' _

Misty:_ '—ting!'_

Ash: _'It is so discoura—' _

Misty:_ '—ging!_

Ash:_ 'Misty, please stop answer—' _

Misty: _'—ring!_

Ash:_ 'See, I really couldn't—' _

Misty:_ '—sing!'_

_Ash: 'I could never really—' _

_Misty: '—sing!'_

_Ash: 'What I couldn't do was—' _

Misty and the audience:_ '—do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do, _

_Do, ti, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do!_

Ash: _'La!' _

Misty and the audience:_ 'La!' _

Ash: _'La!' _

Misty and the audience:_ 'La!' _

Ash:_ 'S—' _

Misty: _'—ing!' _

Together with the audience: _'Sing!'_

The crowd began applauded even before Ash and Misty's song officially ended. They received a standing ovation from literally everyone but The Rocket Gang for about five minutes straight, during which time they returned to their friends, who praised the pair profusely.

"Brava, bravo!" Baku exclaimed as he retook the stage. "Untraditional, fun…time to vote! You will vote by writing the number of the pair you liked the most on your tokens and handing them to the judges."

"This is going to be hard," Bonnie sighed. "I don't just wanna vote for myself…"

"I wish we could vote for more than one," said Clemont.

"Me too," said Ash. "I would vote for all of us."

"Well, our Pokémon can vote too," Misty said as she distributed tokens to her team. "Perhaps their opinions will make this whole thing a little fairer."

After the judges counted all the tokens, it was announced that May and Drew, Iris and Cilan, Zoey and Dawn, Tiffany and her partner, and Jessie and James were moving on to the next round.

"I can't believe we didn't make it!" Misty groaned. "The crowd loved us!"

"Yeah, I didn't think we were the best but I think we were at least better than Jessie and James," Ash sighed. "At least I don't have to sing again!"

"You probably didn't get as many votes because you were doing more talking during that song than singing," said Zoey. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong, just pointing it out."

"…Thanks…"

"Pikaaa," Pikachu moaned, disappointed in his trainer.

"At least you tried, unlike me and Max, who cheated the system," said Clemont. "That's something."

Ash smiled. "Yeah, that is something."

"I thought we were better than Jessie and James too," Bonnie huffed.

"Well…they do have more seasoned voices…we were pitchy," Serena responded. "It's okay because we had fun, right?"

"Right."

Baku brought the jar of ping-pong balls to the finalists. They chose their songs.

"Jess, what did we get?" James asked.

"Hold on, I'm trying to read it," she responded, trying to get a grip on the little white ball.

"We have '500 Miles' by The Proclaimers," May told Drew as she read her ball.

"Noice," he replied, offering her a high five, which he giggigly accepted.

"Did you find out ours yet?" James asked.

"It's called 'Hold Each Other' by A Great Big World," Jessie replied.

"Oh…I never heard it. I hope we like it."

"You will."

"We have 'Sweet Caroline' by Neil Diamond," Iris told Cilan.

"We have 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey," said Tiffany. "Perfect."

"And we have…let's make this a surprise," Dawn said as she revealed her ball to Zoey alone.

"Agreed," Zoey replied.

"Everybody set?" Baku asked.

"Yes," they replied in unison.

"You get twenty minutes to prep. Group Six got the lowest number of votes, so they go first, so, like, be ready."

"We're Group Six," James whispered as Baku and the others headed to the back of the bar.

"I know," Jessie responded, peeved that they didn't outrank the other finalists. "Let's move."

**XO**

"Okay, dudes, let's hear it for Jessie and James!" Baku declared at the clock struck nine.

"Wobbbbbbufffet!

"Chiiimmmeee!"

"Mi Mime!"

"Serrrrviper!"

"Groooowl!"

"Eeeeeee!"

"Jessie and James' Pokémon sure are excited," Dawn commented.

"C'mon guys! Get us dat vacation!" Meowth shouted as the curtain rose.

James smiled and gave him thumbs up before he began strumming. The melody was slow, wafty, not the beat typical to the song. Their adorable Eevee used Charm on the audience and Inkay shrouded them in a comfortable Haze.

James sang the first part:

_'I miss the words we used to say  
I miss the sounds of yesterday  
I miss the games we used to play  
I was trapped inside a dream  
I couldn't see her next to me  
I didn't know she'd set me free…mmm…_

_Something happens when I hold her  
She keeps my heart from getting older  
When the days get short and the nights get a little bit colder  
We hold each other, mmm…'_

'_They're going to win,'_ Misty thought. _'I can feel it.'_

No one said it, but all the twerps agreed with Misty's thoughts.

Jessie picked up the next part:

_'Everything looks different now  
All this time my head was down  
He came along and showed me how to let go  
I can't remember where I'm from  
All I know is who I've become  
That our life has just begun_

_Something happens when I hold him  
He keeps my heart from getting broken  
When the days get short and the nights get a little bit frozen  
We hold each other, mmm…'_

"They are really nailing this song," Zoey mumbled. "Damn."

"I bet we can still win," said Dawn. "We don't have the best song, but we're making it work."

The whole rest of the song the duo sang together, occasionally alternating the lines:

_'These days start to feel like hours and hours feel more like seconds  
People judged us they couldn't see the connection  
When I look at you, it's like I'm looking back at my reflection  
I don't see nothing different, our pigments they coincide  
We hold each other so tight they couldn't break us if they tried  
My eyes are those of the blind, I see no color or size,  
I feel the love in your touch and I trust what's inside your mind._

_Okay, I know that we've been through a lot  
I know that we both grew up  
When I was young, I was dumb  
Didn't think you'd fit in my plot  
And I appreciate the break because I love what we got now_

_You give me chills and I can't imagine you leaving  
If I could build a perfect person honestly you would be it  
And you know nobody knows you like I know you_

_Something happens when I hold her  
She keeps my heart from getting older  
When the days get short and the nights get a little bit colder  
We hold each other, mmm"_

Everyone in the audience gave them a standing ovation as they bowed. Not only was their singing perfect, but their Pokémon did an amazing job timing their attacks for special effects. It was flawless.

Next up was Cilan and Iris. Emolga lit the dark of the bar with flashes of Spark then used Electric Terrain to ignite the stage. Axew slipped a disk into the stereo, providing the necessary tune.

Cilan sang first:

_'Where it began,  
I can't begin to knowin'  
But then I know it's growing strong.' _

_Then Iris: _

_'Was it the spring?  
Then spring became the summer  
Who'd have believed you'd come along?' _

Together:

_'Hands, touchin' hands  
Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you_

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good  
I've been inclined  
To believe they never would.' _

Iris:

_'But now I look at the night  
And it don't seem so lonely  
We fill it up with only two.' _

Cilan:

_'And when I hurt,  
Hurtin' runs off my shoulders  
How can I hurt when holding you?'_

Together:

_'Warm, touchin' warm  
Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you_

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good  
I've been inclined to believe they never would…_

_Sweet Caroline,  
Good times never seemed so good  
Sweet Caroline,  
I believe they never could  
Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good  
oh no, no, no…' _

Emolga's Thunder, Stunfisk's Earth Power, and Dragonite's Ice Beam exploded like fireworks. Everyone clapped for them and the judges complimented them, although no one was sure if their performance was enough to win the luxurious prize.

May and Drew went next, singing '500 Miles'. Beautifly's Gust suspended Roserade's Leaf Storm at the very beginning and end of the song. They too nailed it, leaving the remaining finalists quivering.

"They were incredible!" Serena gasped.

"I wish I could sing like that!" Bonnie cried.

"That was the best version of that song I ever heard," said Cilan. "I'm not so sure we're going to get that vacation."

"Yeah…Dawn and Zoey still gotta go too…" said Iris.

_'Goodbye, vacation,' _she thought.

Everyone cheered for them until Baku announced that it was Dawn and Zoey's turn.

The girls started on a note not at all like their first performance; instead of being dark and bursting into an indie-beat, they started and ended with high energy as they sang 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. The performance was so kinetic that several patrons claimed the floor and walls vibrated from the inundation of high-spirited swing.

"It is going to be between them and Jessie and James," Max remarked.

"You really think so?" Bonnie replied.

"If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have commented."

"It'll come down to a matter of taste," Cilan mused. "Jessie and James put a spin on a not-so-famous work while Zoey and Dawn took an energetic classic and made it even more vivacious than anyone here imagined."

"Maybe they'll tie," said Ash. "But I think May and Drew were the best..."

"I think so too," said Misty. "But it was super close."

"Totally."

"Time to vote!" Baku declared.

After the judges gave their opinions and collected everyone's vote, all six trainers and their Pokémon gathered on stage to hear the results.

"So, it was like, really close dudes," Baku announced. "After some careful consideration, the judges decided to award the five-day, five-night stay at the all-inclusive Pecanwood Resort in Alola to May and Drew! Congrats, dudes!"

"Yessss!" May squealed.

"All right!" Drew exclaimed as they hugged fervidly.

"I tought fer sure Jessie and James were gonna win," Meowth sighed.

"Buffet," Wobbuffet sobbed, upset over the lost holiday.

"We were much better than those brats!" Jessie complained.

James patted her on the back. "I guess we can't win 'em all…"

Jessie sighed loudly as May and Drew received their prize.

"I want a vacation soo bad," Jessie pouted.

"I bet one day we'll be able to take as many vacations as we want," James replied.

"Jim, I tink she wants ta have a vacation before weeze die of old age," said Meowth. "Den again…"

"Meowth…" Jessie grumbled, crossing her arms. "Don't get me started…"

Jessie and James' Pokémon comforted them, easing the tension.

"So, now that this is over, we should look for a place to sleep," said James.

"Weeze are gonna have ta camp out wit de twerps again cuz dere's nuthin in our pathetic bank accounts," Meowth said sadly.

"Did I just hear you say you need a place to sleep?" Tiffany asked.

"Tiffany!" Jessie exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I was just on my way out and I heard you mention camping and you didn't sound happy about it."

"Um yeah...Since we are traveling, we must camp out whenever there isn't a Pokémon Center available," James hesitantly explained.

James wasn't what was less appealing: sleeping in a tent in the rain or staying in the home of Jessie's ex-girlfriend. He looked at Jessie, Meowth, and their Pokémon: they had no trouble making that same decision.

"I live just around the corner from here," said Tiffany. "My house is big…we have a spare room and a massive basement. We can host you and your friends for the night. What do you say to that?"

"That would be wonderful!" Jessie replied. "They're not our _friends, _but..."

"We consider them 'allies'," said James. "We recently went through a lot of shit together..."

"Yeah, that."

"Either way, you're all welcome to accompany my partner and I," Tiffany replied. "We're heading home now."

"Danks yous!" Meowth cried as he hugged Tiffany's legs. "I tink yous and I are gonna get along!"

"Are you sure that's alright though?" James asked. "I'm sure it's unnerving to have strangers unexpectantly enter your home."

"As long as it's only for a night or two, I have no problem with it," Tiffany replied. "And Jessie's no stranger to me."

"Right…"

"One thing…"

"What?" the trio inquired.

"I only have one guest bed. I figured that all those kids could set their sleeping bags up in the basement. It is warm and dry and we have a carpet there so that it is softer than the ground."

"Oh, those twerps don't mind the floor," Jessie replied, hugging Tiffany. "I'll gladly take the bed. Thank you."

"Anytime."

**XO**

"We better get moving," Cilan announced as he and his friends tipped the servers. "It's late and we still have to find a place to sleep."

"Actually, yours truly already figured that out," said Jessie, stepping in front of the twerps.

"You did?" several of them replied.

"Tiffany invited us to stay at her place overnight," said James.

"Yes!" Bonnie cheered. "I hate camping during thunderstorms."

"Ditto," said Serena. "She really doesn't mind?"

"Tiffany and I go wayyy back," Jessie replied. "Of course, she doesn't mind doing me a favor. Though, keep in mind that you all owe her."

"Welp, let's get going," said Ash. "I feel like I can sleep for a million years."

"Me too," Clemont yawned.

"Me three," said May and Dawn.

"Zoey, you coming?" Dawn asked.

"Nah, my Grammie's expecting me home before midnight," she replied. "All my stuff is there too…but I'll catch ya in the morning. We can do breakfast or something."

"I'd love that."

"See ya soon."

"Ditto."

"Bye, Zoey!" the twerps replied.

"Bye!"

**XO**

Tiffany took her guests to the house in two trips. Her house was indeed huge, which fed James' jealously and made Jessie feel like a failure in comparison.

But, the fluffy, warm guest bed and private room made up for it.

Meowth was banished to the basement along with the twerps.

"What are you doing down here?" Bonnie asked as he set up his tiny sleeping bag.

"Getting ready to go ta sleep," he grumbled.

"Why aren't you with Jessie and James?" said Cilan. "Are they still out?"

"Dey kicked me outta dat guest room."

"But I thought there was only one bed," said Ash.

"There is," said several of the girls, who laughed afterward.

"Geeze," Max sighed.

"Oh, Bud..." Cilan laughed, Clemont, Drew, and even Pikachu joining in.

"Why's everyone laughing at me?" Ash queried.

"Uh, well…" Clemont started. "The—"

"—Don't bother," Misty interrupted. "He'll figure it out."

"What…oh…. yuck!" Ash complained.

The kids shared an awkward laugh as they continued to get ready for bed. Meowth ignored them the best he could as he lied down, ironically, beside Ash' Pikachu.

"Pikaaaapi chu," he told Meowth.

"Dey ain't my trainers," Meowth replied. "But yer right…at the end of the day…no one's eva dat bad…"

"Goodnight, everyone!" Dawn said as she shut the lights.

"Night!" the humans replied.

Tomorrow the young trainers planned to move on to their next destination in the Kanto region, continuing to act as a team, as they faced new changes and challenges ahead.

**XO**

**And that's the end! Thanks, everyone, for reading and please review. The story that this is a 'cut-scene' from is listed on my profile page. It is called 'Stand by You'. That was also recently rebooted because that story and this one were both written almost four years ago and some editing was needed. Thanx again! After you review, lemme know if you have a story you want me to read. I'm always open to suggestions and will provide an honest review if you so inquire. **


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